Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes a road condition acquisition portion ( 40, 41 ) that acquires information on an actual road condition; a storage portion ( 42 ) where road data is stored; a route setting portion ( 40 ) that sets a route to a destination, based on the road data stored in the storage portion ( 42 ); a travel pattern setting portion ( 30 ) that sets a travel pattern on the route set by the route setting portion ( 40 ), based on the road data stored in the storage portion ( 42 ); an operation schedule setting portion ( 30 ) that sets an operation schedule that is a schedule of operations of the engine and the motor, based on the travel pattern set by the travel pattern setting portion ( 30 ); and a control portion ( 30 ) that controls the operations of the engine and the motor based on the information on the actual road condition acquired by the road condition acquisition portion ( 40, 41 ) and the operation schedule set by the operation schedule setting portion ( 30 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A hybrid vehicle that includes an engine and a motor that generate drive power for driving the hybrid vehicle, comprising:
 a road condition acquisition portion which is installed in the hybrid vehicle, and which acquires information on an actual road condition; 
 a storage portion in which road data is stored; 
 a route setting portion that sets a route to a destination, based on the road data stored in the storage portion; 
 a travel pattern setting portion that sets a travel pattern on the route set by the route setting portion, based on the road data stored in the storage portion; 
 an operation schedule setting portion that sets an operation schedule that is a schedule of operations of the engine and the motor, based on the travel pattern set by the travel pattern setting portion; and 
 a control portion that controls the operations of the engine and the motor based on the information on the actual road condition acquired by the road condition acquisition portion and the operation schedule set by the operation schedule setting portion, 
 wherein 
 the information on the actual road condition is an actual road gradient; 
 the control portion determines whether the hybrid vehicle is located near an operating state change point at which operating states of the engine and the motor are to be changed in the operation schedule; 
 if the control portion determines that the hybrid vehicle is located near the operating state change point, the control portion determines whether the gradient of the actual road changes; and 
 if the control portion determines that the gradient of the actual road changes, the control portion changes the operating states of the engine and the motor according to the operation schedule, and if the control portion does not determine that the gradient of the actual road changes, the control portion does not change the operating states of the engine and the motor, the operating states being set by the operation schedule. 
 
     
     
       2. The hybrid vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the travel pattern setting portion sets the travel pattern based on road gradient data. 
 
     
     
       3. The hybrid vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the operation schedule is a schedule for changing a ratio between the drive power generated by the engine and the drive power generated by the motor. 
 
     
     
       4. The hybrid vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the operation schedule is a schedule for switching a travel mode between a hybrid vehicle travel mode and an electric vehicle travel mode. 
 
     
     
       5. The hybrid vehicle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an electricity storage portion in which electricity is stored; and 
 an electricity consumption schedule setting portion that sets an electricity consumption schedule that is a schedule relating to consumption and storage of the electricity in the electricity storage portion, wherein 
 the control portion determines whether an actual amount of the electricity remaining in the electricity storage portion is different from a remaining electricity amount in the electricity consumption schedule by a value equal to or larger than a difference threshold while the hybrid vehicle is traveling on the route; and 
 if the control portion determines that the actual amount of the electricity remaining in the electricity storage portion is different from the remaining electricity amount in the electricity consumption schedule by a value equal to or larger than the difference threshold, the control portion modifies the operation schedule and the electricity consumption schedule so that the available electricity in the electricity storage portion is used up at the destination. 
 
     
     
       6. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle that includes an engine and a motor that generate drive power for driving the hybrid vehicle; and a storage portion in which road data is stored, the method comprising:
 acquiring information on an actual road condition; 
 setting a route to a destination, based on the road data stored in the storage portion; 
 setting a travel pattern on the set route, based on the road data stored in the storage portion; 
 setting an operation schedule that is a schedule of operations of the engine and the motor, based on the set travel pattern; and 
 controlling the operations of the engine and the motor based on the acquired information on the actual road condition and the set operation schedule, 
 wherein 
 the information on the actual road condition is an actual road gradient, the method further comprising: 
 determining whether the hybrid vehicle is located near an operating state change point at which operating states of the engine and the motor are to be changed in the operation schedule; 
 determining whether the gradient of the actual road changes if it is determined that the hybrid vehicle is located near the operating state change point; and 
 changing the operating states of the engine and the motor according to the operation schedule if it is determined that the gradient of the actual road changes, and if it is not determined that the gradient of the actual road changes, the operating states of the engine and the motor do not change, the operating states being set by the operation schedule. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the travel pattern is set based on road gradient data. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the operation schedule is a schedule for changing a ratio between the drive power generated by the engine and the drive power generated by the motor. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the operation schedule is a schedule for switching a travel mode between a hybrid vehicle travel mode and an electric vehicle travel mode. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the hybrid vehicle further includes an electricity storage portion in which electricity is stored; and 
 the method further comprises:
 setting an electricity consumption schedule that is a schedule relating to consumption and storage of the electricity in the electricity storage portion; 
 determining whether an actual amount of the electricity remaining in the electricity storage portion is different from a remaining electricity amount in the electricity consumption schedule by a value equal to or larger than a difference threshold while the hybrid vehicle is traveling on the route; and 
 modifying the operation schedule and the electricity consumption schedule so that the available electricity in the electricity storage portion is used up at the destination if it is determined that the actual amount of the electricity remaining in the electricity storage portion is different from the remaining electricity amount in the electricity consumption schedule by a value equal to or larger than the difference threshold.